Text-a-gram cocaine dealers to ‘pinstripe’ gentlemen jailed

Two "text-a-gram" dealers who sold cocaine to City workers were jailed for 32 months each at the Old Bailey today.

Andrew Strachan, 25, and friend Martin Heatley, 27, took text orders for the drugs and delivered them in a run-down Ford Focus.

They were caught by undercover police who watched them drop off a wrap of coke to a "pinstripe suit-wearing gentleman" outside Liverpool Street station last October.

When Heatley's home was raided police found £2,500 of the drug stashed in a safety deposit box — to which

Strachan had the key. They also found scales and £405 in cash.

Strachan and Heatley, both of Islington, admitted supplying a controlled class A drug and possession of a class A drug with intent.

Sentencing, Mr Recorder William Clegg QC said they had committed "a grave and serious offence".
He added: "It is clear that the supply was a commercial supply and the finding at your home of the electronic scales, wraps of cocaine and cash is further evidence that this was not an isolated event.

"You were clearly each of you engaged in the supplying of cocaine."

The judge said the defendants would have received far higher sentences but for their guilty pleas.

The court heard officers watched as the dealers pulled up outside the busy Tube entrance and were approached by a smartly dressed man a few minutes later. After a "brief exchange" he left and officers who followed him found him in possession of a small amount of cocaine.

Strachan, who was driving, and Heatley were arrested a short time later.